Inmate dies at California Men’s Colony in SLO

A 56-year-old inmate died at California Men’s Colony on Wednesday night, a spokeswoman for the prison confirmed.

A doctor pronounced Randy Lane Kidwell of Pollock Pines dead at 11:05 p.m. at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. Lt. Monica Ayon said Kidwell’s cause of death is under investigation and a coroner will make the final determination. She added that Kidwell’s next of kin has been notified.

Kidwell was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole, for the 1995 murder of his live-in girlfriend, Shawn Deneen Meadows, in El Dorado County, according to the Sacramento Bee. He was transferred to CMC on Oct. 25, 2012, and was a single-cell inmate at the east facility, Ayon said. She said Kidwell worked at CMC as a visiting room porter.

Ayon said CMC is currently on lockdown for unspecified reasons unrelated to Kidwell’s death.